India, April 29 -- Life's too short for bad coffee, so the saying goes, and Matt Chitharanjan firmly believes it. A devoted coffee lover, he spent more than a decade in the US, studying finance and economics, working as a consultant, and immersing himself in the country's speciality coffee culture.

His partner, Namrata Asthana, shared his love for coffee. Also educated in the US, with a background in communications, she held roles at PepsiCo India, the Centre for Finance and Development and the American India Foundation.

When the couple returned to India and settled in Delhi, they were struck by a curious disconnect. The country grows some of the world's finest coffee beans, yet few Indians can access high-quality brews. The robust flav...